Teen called a hero in Pasco boating accident | News

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PASCO COUNTY, Florida -- A weekend fishing trip turned deadly for a group in Pasco County, but it could have been even worse if not for the heroic actions of a 15-year-old high school student.

Dustin Bush says he and three friends were out on Saturday in the Anclote River, about 11 miles from shore.

The motor on their 22-foot boat died, eventually leading to it capsizing.

It left the group swimming with no life jackets and nothing to hold onto, as six foot waves crashed down.

"I've never really experienced anything like that," said Dustin Bush of New Port Richey, "it was getting harder and harder to stay above the water because the waves started whitecapping on top of you and over the top of you, and it would shove you back under before you could get another breath."

Bush says the others were all middle-aged men and having a harder time swimming than him.

He helped two stay afloat, while a third, Richard Green, lost consciousness and died.

That didn't stop Bush, though, from holding onto his body, refusing to lose it at sea.

"I know just letting him go wouldn't be the right thing to do and I wouldn't have been able to live with that," Bush explained.

About an hour later, a charter boat, the Blue Fin, spotted the fishermen and rescued them.

Witnesses on that boat say Bush's actions were nothing short of heroic.

"I was amazed at the young man and how brave he was. They were in the water for 45 minutes to an hour," said crew member Donna Wall.

Bush is a football player at Gulf High School in New Port Richey.

He credits being in that kind of shape for allowing three of the four to survive.

"Just did what I had to at the time," he explained.

Bush says Green's family has thanked him for trying to save his life and bringing the body to shore.